Sailing kit for inflatable boats

ABSTRACT

For application to an inflatable boat having a longitudinal passageway in its bottom which customarily is formed as a flexible sheet, appliable means for receiving and holding a mast and a dagger board, comprising a removable substantially rigid member, as of wood, having a longitudinal slot with spaced side walls for registration with said bottom passageway and adapted to receive and hold upstanding extension areas at the margins of the bottom member, passageway, said slot being adapted to receive said dagger board, said rigid member having a base area and a top area having holes adapted to receive and hold a mast, and said substantially rigid member transversely terminating with means for attaching and detaching it to the inflatable side walls of an inflatable boat, eliminating necessity of shrouds.

United States Patent Edwards [is] 3,682,123 [451 Aug. 8, 1972 [54] SAILING KIT FOR INFLATABLE BOATS [72] Inventor: David V. Edwards, -Mill Lan Neshanic, NJ. 08853 [22] Filed: March 10, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 122,863

[52] US. Cl ..114/39, 9/2 A [51] Int. Cl. ..B63b 35/00 [58] Field of Search ..1 14/39, 102; 9/2 A [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,510,843 6/1950 Townshend ..9/2 A 3,383,719 5/1968 Van Der Heide... .....l 14/39 X Primary Examiner-Trygve M. Blix Attorney-W. Lee Helms 57 I ABSTRACT For application to an inflatable boat having a longitudinal passageway in its bottom which customarily is formed as a flexible sheet, appliable means for receiving and holding a mast and a dagger board, comprising a removable substantially rigid member, as of wood, having a longitudinal slot with spaced side walls for registration with said bottom passageway and adapted to receive and hold upstanding extension areas at the margins of the bottom member, passageway, said slot being adapted to receive said dagger board, said rigid member having a base area and a top area having holes adapted to receive and hold a mast, and said substantially rigid member transversely terminating with means for attaching and detaching it to the inflatable side walls of an inflatable boat, eliminating necessity of shrouds.

5 Claim, 6 Drawing figures PATENTEDMIB 81w 3.682.123

SHEEI 1 BF 3 INVENTOR.

SAILING KIT FOR INFLATABLE BOATS The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the forward area of a collapsible boat to which the invention has been applied.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the complete boat of FIG. 1 with sail carried by the mast and the detachable mast and dagger board holding means of the invention.

FIG.- 3 is a schematic section transversely of FIG. 1, on the line 33, FIG. 1, showing a suitable dagger board away from and turned 90 with respect to the sectionally shown rigid holding member.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view, showing one embodiment of a sectional floor adapted as the base member of the rigid dagger board and mast holding structure.

FIG. 5 is a transverse section through a customary inflated tube in its form when vertically directed axial pressure is applied thereto as by a mast received in a mast step connected to the top of the inflated tube.

FIG. 6 is a transverse section through the customary tube of an inflatable boat employed at a side area of the boat, showing that deformation of the tube by somewhat tangentially applied pressure, as in the present invention, is low.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, it will be seen that the embodiment of collapsible boat therein shown comprises inflatable connected tubing areas forming the sides, stern and fore of the boat, and, as customary, a flexible bottom sheet bridges these members, in practice, as indicated in FIG. 3 at l, the tubing being indicated at 2.

A rigid member called a mast step 3, is the immediate and primary support for the mast 4 and also it is the housing for the daggar board 5, the latter being particularly shown in FIG. 3. The daggar board is a keel which while adjustable, it is removable in storing the boat and differs from a centerboard in that it is fitted like a daggar and is not hinged to be moved up and down like a centerboard. The mast step 3 has spaced, vertically-extending, side-plates, wood being suitable and these plates carry at their tops the horizontal plates 3 which at their front areas may meet and be formed with a hole for receiving the mast.

The mast step 3 has end lateral extensions 3 which terminate in angularly bent bars 6 (one being shown in FIG. 1) which enter sleeves in molded patches on the inner surface areas of tubes 2, as shown at 6, FIG. 1, as to one of them.

A rigid floor-board member such as that indicated at 9, FIG. 1, lies under the mast step, and the floor-board arrangement shown in FIG. 4 is preferred. It consists of elongated mutually hinged boards 8 and 9, the latter having a passageway for the daggar board, as indicated at 10, and a hole for receiving the mast, as indicated at 11. A chafte-resistant motor plate may be carried 12) at the end of such floor board arrangement. As stated, a single floor board such as that shown at 9, FIG. 4, may be employed if so desired.

In order for the dagger board 5 to pass through the bottom of the boat and at the same time to prevent leakage at such area, the aperture through the sheet bottom of the boat is bounded by a sleeve open at its. base and permanently secured to the margins of said aperture. The sleeve is waterproof and is high enough for its top to be above the waterline of the boat even when fully loaded. A schematic view of the sleeve in position is shown in FIG. 3, at I. Webbing straps such as indicated at 12, FIG. 1, as to one of the straps, are connected to the top of the sleeve for holding it in upright position, as by attaching the webbing straps to the mast step 3, 3, although in the present embodiment the webbing straps are passed through the loops or eyes of patches secured to transverse and spaced tubular inflatable thwarts l4 and 15, FIG. 1. By the arrangements specified, the mast step will not twist substantially in relation to the hull of the boat, and the mast will stay upright and the daggar board held vertically. Shrouds could of course be fitted to augment the holding of the mast upright, but this would be satisfactory only by adding to the assembly a rigid connection for the lower ends of the shrouds. The most rigid part of an inflatable structure is that part where the fabric is merely being bent against internal air pressure. The normal air pressure in an inflatable dinghy is too low (about 2 or 3 psi) to resist movement of the fabric being bent against it. FIGS. 5 and 6 show the difference in two types of attachment of the mast step to the inflated tubing constituting the sides of the boat. It can be seen that in FIG. 5 the fabric is being deformed against the internal air pressure, whilst in FIG. 6 the fabric itself is substantially taking the load. In the present invention the mast step is connected to the point on the inflatable tube shown at the upper area of FIG. 1 and in FIG. 6, and the deformation of the tube under stress is quite low. It is largely due to the latter arrangement that satisfactory mast support is obtained without the need of shrouds. It will be understood that there will be opposite points of attachment of the mast step to the tubular sides of the boat, and in other words the patch,-

sleeve and bar connection shown in FIG. I will be duplicated at the opposite side of the boat.

The mast step is held in place firmly when the tubes and inflatable thwarts are under pressure. No fixing screws or locking system other than that shown is required.

As shown in FIG. 2, the transom 12 of the floor board 8 (see FIG. 3) is rigid and enables the rudder 16 to be held to it by clamp. Preferably a lifting rudder will be employed so that sailing in or from shallow water such as that near a beach is facilitated.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made in the embodiment shown within the spirit of the annexed claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. In combination with a boat having inflatable tubular side members and a bottom which is sheet-like and provided with a flexible sleeve open at its base and water-tight at the margins of a passageway in said bottom, of a relatively rigid member having longitudinallyextending spaced side walls adapted to receive said sleeve and to receive a daggar-board within the sleeve, said relatively rigid member having a top area formed with means adapted to receive and hold a mast substantially above its lower end, means for holding such mast at its lower end area, and said substantially rigid member having lateral extensions temiinating with means for attachment to opposed inflatable tubular side members of a boat, and constituting a sailing kit.

2. A sailing kit for boats having inflatable tubular side members, constructed in accordance with claim 1, in which the means for holding a mast at its lower area comprises a flooring member slotted to receive the daggar-board receiving sleeve and having socket means for the mast, said flooring member having connections with the relatively rigid member.

3. A sailing kit for boats having inflatable tubular side members, constructed in'accordance with claim 1, in which the side walls of said substantially rigid member carry at least one horizontal top member provided with a passage for a mast, a floor member apertured to receive the sleeve, and the lateral extensions of the said rigid member having connections with said floor member.

4. A sailing kit for boats having inflatable tubular and held by sockets on and lying tangentially to the inflated tubes at normal side positions relatively to the top and bottom areas of the boat.

. l I. I! 

1. In combination with a boat having inflatable tubular side members and a bottom which is sheet-like and provided with a flexible sleeve open at its base and water-tight at the margins of a passageway in said bottom, of a relatively rigid member having longitudinally-extending spaced side walls adapted to receive said sleeve and to receive a daggar-board within the sleeve, said relatively rigid member having a top area formed with means adapted to receive and hold a mast substantially above its lower end, means for holding such mast at its lower end area, and said substantially rigid member having lateral extensions terminating with means for attachment to opposed inflatable tubular side members of a boat, and constituting a sailing kit.
 2. A sailing kit for boats having inflatable tubular side members, constructed in accordance with claim 1, in which the means for holding a mast at its lower area comprises a flooring member slotted to receive the daggar-board receiving sleeve and having socket means for the mast, said flooring member having connections with the relatively rigid member.
 3. A sailing kit for boats having inflatable tubular side members, constructed in accordance with claim 1, in which the side walls of said substantially rigid member carry at least one horizontal top member provided with a passage for a mast, a floor member apertured to receive the sleeve, and the lateral extensions of the said rigid member having connections with said floor member.
 4. A sailing kit for boats having inflatable tubular side members, constructed in accordance with claim 1, in which the lateral extensions of the relatively rigid member carry socket-insertable holders adapted for connecting said extensions to socket-carrying opposed inflatable tubes of a boat, and thereby providing a means of stability for the substantially rigid member and a mast connected thereto.
 5. A sailing kit for boats having inflatable tubular side members, constructed in accordance with claim 1, in which the socket-insertable holders of the lateral extensions of the rigid member are adapted to be received and held by sockets on and lying tangentially to the inflated tubes at normal side positions relatively to the top and bottom areas of the boat. 